Protein possessing metastasis-inhibitory activity

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a novel protein, and a DNA coding said protein, as well as to the preparation of said protein.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Nowadays, the treatment of cancers is mainly attained by surgical operations, chemotherapies and radiotherapies. Although most of cancers may be cured by such a treatment, a part of viable cancer cells remaining after such a treatment may be scattered throughout the body of a cancer patient, and may cause a more serious cancer-metastasis and even shorten the patient's life span. If the metastasis of cancers can be inhibited, cancer patients's pain would be relieved, and their life spans would be extended much more. Therefore, the development of agents which effectively inhibit the metastasis of cancers has been in a great demand. In general, the metastasis of cancers, however, has been considered to occur via a complicated process, and this hinders the realization of satisfiable cancer metastasis-inhibitory agents.

Although a variety of proteins possessing cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity were reported, the present protein absolutely differs from them. Examples of such a conventional protein are interferons and interleukin 2 which have been reported to have cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity. The present protein clearly differs from such a conventional protein in molecular weight and amino acid sequence. None of conventional proteins have not yet been realized as a cancer metastasis-inhibitory agent. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 308,799/90, a cancer metastasis-inhibitory factor produced by cells derived from human hematopoietic tissues is reported and its structure and physicochemical properties are, however, far from substantial elucidation because the description in the patent is vague and it only teaches the molecular weight ranging 10,000-450,000.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel protein which effectively inhibits the metastasis of cancers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a DNA coding said protein.

Further object of the invention is to provide the preparation of said protein.

In order to attain the aforesaid objects, the present inventors studied substances which inhibit the metastasis of cancers. The present inventors continued studies in order to obtain a novel cancer metastasis-inhibitory substance, and, as a result eventually found cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity in a culture supernatant of HPB-MLT cell (FERM BP-2430), an established cell line derived from human T-cell leukemia, which had been stimulated in a nutrient culture medium with BCG and LPS. The present inventors revealed that the entity of the activity is a protein having the following physicochemical properties:

(1) Molecular weight 45,000±5,000;

(2) Isoelectric point pI=5.7±0.5;

(3) Partial amino acid sequence Possessing a partial amino acid sequence of Asp-Ser-Glu-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Tyr-Ala-Arg-Gly-Ala-Gln-Asp-Met-Lys (SEQ ID NO:1) or Glu-His-Trp-Ser-His-Asp-Pro-Phe-Glu (SEQ ID NO:2);

(4) Solubility in solvent Soluble in water, physiological saline and phosphate buffer;

(5) Biological activity Exhibiting a metastasis-inhibitory activity on RPMI 4788 cell (FERM BP-2429), an established cell line derived from human colon cancer; and

(6) Stability Inactivated in water at pH 7.2 and 100° C. for 30 minutes. Stable in water at pH 7.2 and 4° C. for one month.

The present inventors isolated a protein possessing cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity from a culture of HPB-MLT cell (FERM BP-2430) stimulated with BCG and LPS. The present inventors revealed the physicochemical properties of said protein and found that it has the amino acid sequence as shown in Chemical formula 1 (SEQ ID NO:4). The wording "substantially has the amino acid sequence as shown in Chemical formula 1" as referred to in the invention means that it should not be restricted to that as shown in Chemical formula 1 and shall include all the homologous variants thereof. In other words, the present invention includes any protein having a partial amino acid sequence in the amino acid sequence as shown in Chemical formula 1 as long as it possesses the same physicochemical properties as the above-mentioned protein.

______________________________________

Chemical formula 1 (SEQ ID NO: 6)

______________________________________

1 Met-Thr-Ser-Lys-Gly-Pro-Glu-Glu-Glu-His-

11 Pro-Ser-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Arg-Gln-Tyr-Leu-

21 Arg-Ile-Arg-Thr-Val-Gln-Pro-Lys-Pro-Asp-

31 Tyr-Gly-Ala-Ala-Val-Ala-Phe-Phe-Glu-Glu-

41 Thr-Ala-Arg-Gln-Leu-Gly-Leu-Gly-Cys-Gln-

51 Lys-Val-Glu-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly-Tyr-Val-Val-

61 Thr-Val-Leu-Thr-Trp-Pro-Gly-Thr-Asn-Pro-

71 Thr-Leu-Ser-Ser-Ile-Leu-Leu-Asn-Ser-His-

81 Thr-Asp-Val-Val-Pro-Val-Phe-Lys-Glu-His-

91 Trp-Ser-His-Asp-Pro-Phe-Glu-Ala-Phe-Lys-

101 Asp-Ser-Glu-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Tyr-Ala-Arg-Gly-

111 Ala-Gln-Asp-Met-Lys-Cys-Val-Ser-Ile-Gln-

121 Tyr-Leu-Glu-Ala-Val-Arg-Arg-Leu-Lys-Val-

131 Glu-Gly-His-Arg-Phe-Pro-Arg-Thr-Ile-His-

141 Met-Thr-Phe-Val-Pro-Asp-Glu-Glu-Val-Gly-

151 Gly-His-Gln-Gly-Met-Glu-Leu-Phe-Val-Gln-

161 Arg-Pro-Glu-Phe-His-Ala-Leu-Arg-Ala-Gly-

171 Phe-Ala-Leu-Asp-Glu-Gly-Ile-Ala-Asn-Pro-

181 Thr-Asp-Ala-Phe-Thr-Val-Phe-Tyr-Ser-Glu-

191 Arg-Ser-Pro-Trp-Trp-Val-Arg-Val-Thr-Ser-

201 Thr-Gly-Arg-Pro-Gly-His-Ala-Ser-Arg-Phe-

211 Met-Glu-Asp-Thr-Ala-Ala-Glu-Lys-Leu-His-

221 Lys-Val-Val-Asn-Ser-Ile-Leu-Ala-Phe-Arg-

231 Glu-Lys-Glu-Trp-Gln-Arg-Leu-Gln-Ser-Asn-

241 Pro-His-Leu-Lys-Glu-Gly-Ser-Val-Thr-Ser-

251 Val-Asn-Leu-Thr-Lys-Leu-Glu-Gly-Gly-Val-

261 Ala-Tyr-Asn-Val-Ile-Pro-Ala-Thr-Met-Ser-

271 Ala-Ser-Phe-Asp-Phe-Arg-Val-Ala-Pro-Asp-

281 Val-Asp-Phe-Lys-Ala-Phe-Glu-Glu-Gln-Leu-

291 Gln-Ser-Trp-Cys-Gln-Ala-Ala-Gly-Glu-Gly-

301 Val-Thr-Leu-Glu-Phe-Ala-Gln-Lys-Trp-Met-

311 His-Pro-Gln-Val-Thr-Pro-Thr-Asp-Asp-Ser-

321 Asn-Pro-Trp-Trp-Ala-Ala-Phe-Ser-Arg-Val-

331 Cys-Lys-Asp-Met-Asn-Leu-Thr-Leu-Glu-Pro-

341 Glu-Ile-Met-Pro-Ala-Ala-Thr-Asp-Asn-Arg-

351 Tyr-Ile-Arg-Ala-Val-Gly-Val-Pro-Ala-Leu-

361 Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Met-Asn-Arg-Thr-Pro-Val-

371 Leu-Leu-His-Asp-His-Asp-Glu-Arg-Leu-His-

381 Glu-Ala-Val-Phe-Leu-Arg-Gly-Val-Asp-Ile-

391 Tyr-Thr-Arg-Leu-Leu-Pro-Ala-Leu-Ala-Ser-

401 Val-Pro-Ala-Leu-Pro-Ser-Asp-Ser

______________________________________

Based on the above-mentioned amino acid sequence, the present inventors screened DNAs which might code the present protein from HPB-MLT cell, and found that the present protein contained the base sequence as shown in Chemical formula 2 (SEQ ID NO:3). The DNA according to the present invention is not restricted to that as shown in Chemical formula 2. The wording "substantially has the base sequence as shown in Chemical formula 2" as referred to in the invention means that it has the whole or a part of the base sequence of Chemical formula 2. The base sequences usable in the invention are, for example, those formed by a genetic code degeneracy wherein one or more bases in Chemical formula 2 are replaced with other bases, those which code the aforesaid homologous variants, and those which are complemental to the base sequence as shown in Chemical formula 2. The complementary base sequences may be wholly or partially complemental to that as shown in Chemical formula 2.

__________________________________________________________________________

Chemical formula 2 (SEQ ID NO: 3)

__________________________________________________________________________

1 ATG ACC AGC AAG GGT CCC GAG GAG GAG CAC

31 CCA TCG GTG ACG CTC TTC CGC CAG TAC CTG

61 CGT ATC CGC ACT GTC CAG CCC AAG CCT GAC

91 TAT GGA GCT GCT GTG GCT TTC TTT GAG GAG

121

151

181

211

241

271

301

331

361

391

421

451

481

511

541

571

601

631

661

691

721

751

781

811

841

871

901

931

961

991

1021

1051

1081

1111

1141

1171

1201

__________________________________________________________________________

Furthermore, the present invention provides a process to prepare the above-mentioned protein, comprising culturing a cell capable of producing said protein in a nutrient culture medium to form said protein, and recovering the resultant protein from the culture. Examples of such a cell are established cell lines derived from human T-cell leukemia such as HPB-MLT cell and MOLT-4 cell (ATCC CRL 1582), and not restricted to those of human origin. Similarly as the cells of human origin, cells of animal origin and microorganisms can be advantageously used in the invention as long as they can inherently produce the present protein, and those which had been introduced with the present DNA by conventional cell fusion or genetic engineering technique can be advantageously used in the invention as long as the present protein is recovered from their cultures.

The cells usable in the present process are not restricted to those described in the present specification, and, if necessary the present protein can be prepared by culturing any one of the cells in a nutrient culture medium while stimulating it with an adequate stimulant such as BCC and LPS, and recovering the resultant protein having a metastasis-inhibitory activity from the resultant cells or supernatant. The cultivation of such a cell is carried out according to conventional techniques for animal cells and microorganisms. Conventional nutrient culture media containing vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and the like can be employed in the invention. The recovering methods suitably used in the invention are two or more methods usually used in the purification of physiologically-active proteinous substances: For example, salting out, dialysis, centrifugation, gel filtration chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, electrophoresis, isoelectrofocusing and isoelectric fractionation are suitably used in combination.

The present invention attains the aforesaid object, and encompasses a novel protein possessing a metastasis-inhibitory activity, a DNA coding said protein, and the preparation of said protein.

The following experiments will explain the present invention.

Experiment 1

Assay for metastasis-inhibitory activity

In accordance with the method of Y. Naomoto et al. described in Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, Vol. 113, pp. 544-549 (1987), a metastasis-inhibitory activity was assayed with a model wherein RPMI 4788 cells (FERM BP-2429) are transplanted to nude mice so as to induce lung metastasis.

In a test group, 5 or more BALB/c nude mice were injected through their tail veins with 0.2 ml of phosphate buffer containing a test specimen 3 times in total before the cell transplantation, i.e. at 2 day, 1 day and 3 hours before the cell transplantation. From the next day of the transplantation of 2×10 6 RPMI 4788 cells per mouse, the mice were successively injected similarly as above with a test specimen one shot per day over a period of 7 days. In a control group, mice were similarly treated as in the test group except for using phosphate buffer free of the test specimen. On the 21st day after the cell transplantation, nude mice were sacrificed, and the number of metastatic nodules formed on the surfaces of the lungs was macroscopically counted. It was judged that a test specimen had a positive activity when the following requirements were fulfilled: (i) The mean value of numbers of lung metastatic nodules formed in the mice in the control group was 50 or more; (ii) the mean value of those in the test group was lowered to 1/2 or lower against that in the control group; and (iii) the reduction level in (ii) was evaluated as statistically significant.

Experiment 2

Preparation of supernatant from culture of HPB-MLT cell stimulated with BCG and LPS

A new born hamster was first injected with a serum of anti-hamster thymus prepared from rabbits in usual manner, then subcutaneously transplanted with HPB-MLT cells, and bred for 4 weeks in usual manner. About 20 g weight tumor subcutaneously formed in the hamster was cut into pieces, dispersed, washed with serum-free RPMI 1640 medium, and suspended in a fresh preparation of the same medium to give a concentration of 5×10 6 cells/ml. The cell suspension was added with 10 μg/ml BCG and incubated at 37° C. for one day. Thereafter, the resultant cell suspension was added with one μg/ml LPS, incubated for one day, and centrifuged to obtain a supernatant.

Experiment 3

Purification and physicochemical properties of the present protein

The supernatant in Experiment 2 was concentrated by about 20-fold on "AIL 3013", a membrane module commercialized by Asahi Chemical Ind., Tokyo, Japan, and the concentrate was dialyzed against 25 mM imidazol-HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The resultant solution in a dialytic bag was fed to a column packed with "PBE-94", a product of Pharmacia LKB, Uppsala, Sweden, preequilibrated with 25 mM imidazol-HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The column was fed with "Polybuffer® 74 (pH 4.0)", commercialized by Pharmacia LKB, Uppsala, Sweden, to fractionate the supernatant, and the resultant fractions were respectively dialyzed against phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), followed by assaying each fraction for cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity. As a result, it was revealed that the fractions eluted between a pH range of 5.0-6.5 had cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity. The active fractions were pooled, and refractionated on a column packed with "Sephacryl S-200", a product commercialized by Pharmacia LKB Uppsala, Sweden. The resultant fractions were assayed for their cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity to test whether or not that the fractions, eluted with a ratio of (Elution volume)/(Void volume) in the range of 0.5-0.65, might have the activity. The active fractions were pooled and dialyzed against 10 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The solution in a dialytic bag was fed to a column packed with "DEAE-5PW", a product of Tosoh Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, preequilibrated with 10 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), and eluted with a liner gradient of 10-500 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). In this case, a substance with cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity was eluted in fractions with about 70 mM potassium phosphate. The fractions thus obtained were pooled and dialyzed against 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8), and fed to a hydroxyapatite column commercialized by Toa Nenryo Kogyo K.K., Tokyo, Japan, preequilibrated with 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). In this case, cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity was found in non-adsorbed fractions which were then fed to a column packed with "Mono-P", a product of Pharmacia LKB, Upssala, Sweden, preequilibrated with 25 mM bis-tris-iminodiacetate buffer (pH 7.1), and eluted with "Polybuffer® 74 (pH 4.0)", a product of Pharmacia LKB, Uppsala, Sweden, followed by isolating the present protein with cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity. Thus, about 70 μg of the present protein was isolated from 50 L of the culture supernatant of HPB-MLT cells stimulated with BCG and LPS. The physicochemical properties of the present protein were studied with the isolated protein.

(1) Molecular weight

In accordance with the method of U. K. Laemmli described in Nature, Vol. 227, pp. 680-685 (1970), the protein was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (abbreviated as "SDS-PAGE" hereinafter), and the molecular weight was determined to be 45,000±5,000 based on the relative mobility of the protein against marker proteins.

(2) Isoelectric point

The isoelectric point of the protein was estimated to be 5.7±0.5 based on the pHs of eluates on a column chromatography using Mono-P column;

(3) Partial amino acid sequence

The protein was subjected to SDS-PAGE, and a band corresponding to the molecular weight of about 45,000 in the resultant gel was isolated by cutting. The resultant gel piece was soaked in 100 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 9.0) containing 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at 37° C. for one hour, and digested at 37° C. overnight by the addition of 5 μg/ml lysyl endopeptidase, an enzyme specimen commercialized by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. The supernatant obtained from the resultant was fractionated on a reverse-phase chromatography using a column of "C-18", commercialized by VYDAC, Hesperia, USA, equipped with a precolumn of DEAE, followed by recovering peptide fragments which were then analyzed on "470A", an amino acid sequencer commercialized by Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, USA. The results were as shown in Chemical formulas 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Chemical formula 3 (SEQ ID NO:1)

Asp-Ser-Glu-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Tyr-Ala-Arg-Gly-Ala-Gln-Asp-Met-Lys

Chemical formula 4 (SEQ ID NO:2)

Glu-His-Trp-Ser-His-Asp-Pro-Phe-Glu

Chemical formula 5 (SEQ ID NO:5)

Glu-Trp-Gln-Arg-Leu-Gln-Ser-Asn-Pro-His-Leu-Lys

Chemical formula 6 (SEQ ID NO:6)

Leu-Glu-Gly-Gly-Val-Ala-Tyr-Asn-Val-Ile-Pro

(4) Solubility in solvent

The protein was soluble in water, physiological saline and phosphate buffer.

(5) Biological activity

The protein was tested for cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity with the method in Experiment 1. As a result, the number of metastatic nodules was 314±169 in a control group consisting of 5 nude mice, while that in a test group, wherein 5 nude mice were administered with a solution containing 250 μg/ml of the protein, was 100±43. These confirmed that the protein exhibited a strong cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity.

(6) Stability

The protein was dissolved in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) and allowed to stand at 100° C. for 30 minutes, followed by determining the residual activity with the method in Experiment 1 to give no activity. Thus, it was revealed that the protein was inactivated under the conditions.

While the protein was treated by dissolving it in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2), and allowing the resultant solution to stand at 4° C. for one month, followed by assaying the residual activity similarly as above. As a result, no substantial loss of activity was found, and this revealed that the protein was stable under the conditions.

Experiment 4

Acute toxicity

By using 7 week-old mice, the present protein was tested for acute toxicity. As a result, the LD 50 in mice of the protein was 50 mg/kg or higher when intravenously administered to the mice, and this revealed that the toxicity was extremely low.

Experiment 5

Base sequence coding the present protein

In this experiment, the base sequence of the present protein was determined by conventional method as described by T. Maniatis et al. in Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, 2nd edition, published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989), New York, USA.

Experiment 5-1

Construction of cDNA library of HPB-MLT cell

HPB-MLT cells obtained by the method in Experiment 2 were suspended in a serum-free RPMI 1640 medium to give a concentration of 5×10 6 cells/ml. The cell suspension was added with 10 μg/ml BCG and incubated at 37° C. for one day. The culture thus obtained was added with one μg/ml LPS and incubated for 4.5 hours. The resultant culture was centrifuged to obtain cells which were then solubilized with 4M guanidium isocyanate and homogenized. The resultant homogenate was overlaid on 5.7M cesium chloride, and the mixture was centrifuged at 25,000 rpm for 17 hours to obtain the whole RNAs of the cells. Poly (A) + RNA was purified from the whole RNAs on "Oligotex®-dT30<Super>", a bead for purification of poly (A) + RNA commercialized by Daiichi Pure Chemicals, Tokyo, Japan. The purified poly (A) + RNA was treated with "cDNA synthesis system plus", a product of Amersham International plc, Buckinghashire, England, to synthesize a cDNA under the direction of the appended manual. The cDNA thus obtained was ligated with a λgt10 phage DNA by using "cDNA cloning system λgt10", a product of Amersham International plc, Buckinghashire, Englnad. The resultant recombinant phage DNA was packaged by "Lambda(λ) in vitro packaging kit", a product of Amersham International plc, Buckinghashire, Englnad, to obtain a cDNA library of HPB-MLT cell.

Experiment 5-2

Construction of radiolabeled DNA probe

Based on the partial amino acid sequence as shown in Chemical formula 3 in Experiment 3, base sequences estimable from the amino acid sequence of Glu-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Tyr-Ala (SEQ ID NO:7) in Chemical formula 3 were synthesized by a DNA synthesizer commercialized by Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, USA. Ninety-six base sequences consisting of 17 synthesized bases are as shown in Table 1.

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Probe 1:

GAG GGG TAT ATA TAT GC (SEQ ID NO: 8)

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T C

C

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As for the partial amino acid sequence as shown in Chemical formula 5, complementary chains of base sequences, estimable from Asn-Pro-His-Leu-Lys (SEQ ID NO:9) in the partial amino acid sequence in Chemical formula 5, were synthesized similarly as above. Ninety-six base sequences consisting of 14 synthesized bases are as shown in Table 2. The DNAs thus obtained were radiolabeled with [λ- 32 P]ATP and T4 polynucleotide kinase.

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Probe 2:

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TTG AGG TGG GGG TT (SEQ ID NO: 10)

______________________________________

T T

C C

______________________________________

TTT AAG TGG GGG TT (SEQ ID NO: 11)

______________________________________

T

C

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Experiment 5-3

Screening with radiolabeled DNA probes

A solution of the recombinant λgt10, a cDNA library of HPB-MLT cell prepared in Experiment 5-1, was mixed with an overnight culture of microorganisms of E. coli strain NM 514 in L-broth, and the mixture was incubated at 37° C. for 15 minutes. The resultant was admixed with a soft agar, and the resultant mixture was overlaid on a hard-agar plate and solidified. The resultant agar plate containing the microorganisms were incubated at 37` C. for 8 hours, cooled and overlaid with "Hybond-N filter", a membrane filter of Amersham International plc, Buckinghamshire, England, to transfer the phage and to fix the phage DNA on the membrane filter. In order to prevent a non-specific bonding of the radiolabeled DNA probes with DNAs except for the objective complementary DNA, the membrane filter was soaked in a solution of a salmon sperm DNA commercialized by Sigma Chemical company, St., Louis, USA, to effect prehybridization, followed by screening positive clones by the southern hybridization with the radiolabeled DNA probes in Experiment 5-2. The results in the first screening test with the probe 1 in Table 1 and the second screening test with the probe 2 in Table 2 revealed that 3 positive clones were present among about 600,000 clones. Phage DNAs isolated from the positive clones were digested with a restriction enzyme EcoRI to remove them from vector DNAs, and the length of the inserted fragments were studied on agarose electrophoresis, followed by analyzing a clone having the longest inserted-fragment of about 1.5 kbp.

Experiment 5-4

Base sequence of gene coding the present protein

From the positive clones obtained in Experiment 5-3, a phage DNA was isolated and digested with a restriction enzyme EcoRI, and the resultant fragments were separated on SDS-PAGE to obtain an inserted DNA fragment of about 1.5 kbp which was then ligated with a pUC18 plasmid with a ligation kit commercialized by Amersham International plc, Buckinghashire, England, to obtain a recombinant plasmid. The recombinant plasmid thus obtained was introduced in usual manner into E. coli to obtain a recombinant microorganism, and from which a plasmid DNA was prepared. The dideoxy chain termination method was applied to the resultant plasmid DNA to reveal the base sequence of the present protein. Based on the base sequence, the amino acid sequence of the present protein was estimated. As a result, it was revealed that the present DNA consisted of 1,224 bases and coded a protein consisting of 408 amino acids. The estimated amino acid sequence encompassed the amino acid sequences as shown in Chemical formulas 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Experiment 3.

The following is an example of the preparation of the present protein.

Similarly as the method in Experiment 2, MOLT-4 cell (ATCC CRL 1582), an established cell line derived from human T-cell leukemia commercialized by Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, were cultured in a nutrient culture medium while stimulating the cells with BCG and LPS. Similarly as in Experiment 3, a supernatant prepared from the resultant culture was treated to obtain the present protein possessing cancer metastasis-inhibitory activity. The yield was about 40 μg per 50 L of the culture supernatant. The protein had the same physicochemical properties as the one in Experiment 3.

The protein according to the present invention effectively inhibits the metastasis of cancers, and this renders it advantageously useful as prophylactic-, therapeutic- and diagnostic-agents for cancer metastases. The toxicity of the present protein is satisfactorily low, because of this it can be systematically administered to patients in the form of an injection, sublingual agent, and the like.

The present protein having the aforesaid advantages is prepared in an industrial scale by the present preparation.

The DNA coding the present protein is useful in the preparation of the present protein by genetic engineering techniques.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood the various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirits and scope of the invention.

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(1) GENERAL INFORMATION:

(iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 11

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:

(A) LENGTH: 15 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:

AspSerGluGlyTyrIleTyrAlaArgGlyAlaGlnAspMetLys

151015

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:

(A) LENGTH: 9 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:

GluHisTrpSerHisAspProPheGlu

15

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:

(A) LENGTH: 1224 base pairs

(B) TYPE: nucleic acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(ix) FEATURE:

(B) LOCATION: 1..1224

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:

ATGACCAGCAAGGGTCCCGAGGAGGAGCACCCATCGGTGACGCTCTTC48

Me tThrSerLysGlyProGluGluGluHisProSerValThrLeuPhe

151015

CGCCAGTACCTGCGTATCCGCACTGTCCAGCCCAAGCCTGACTATGGA96

ArgGlnTyrLeuArgIleArgThrValGlnProLysProAspTyrGly

202530

GCTGCTGTGGCTTTCTTTGAGGAGACAGCCCGCCAGCTGGGCCTGGGC144

AlaAlaValAlaPhePheGluGluThrAlaArgGlnLeuGlyLeuGly

354045

TGTCAGAAAGTAGAGGTGGCACCTGGCTATGTGGTGACCGTGTTGACC192

Cy sGlnLysValGluValAlaProGlyTyrValValThrValLeuThr

505560

TGGCCAGGCACCAACCCTACACTCTCCTCCATCTTGCTCAACTCCCAC240

TrpProGl yThrAsnProThrLeuSerSerIleLeuLeuAsnSerHis

65707580

ACGGATGTGGTGCCTGTCTTCAAGGAACATTGGAGTCACGACCCCTTT288

Th rAspValValProValPheLysGluHisTrpSerHisAspProPhe

859095

GAGGCCTTCAAGGATTCTGAGGGCTACATCTATGCCAGGGGTGCCCAG336

GluAlaPheLysAspSerGluGlyTyrIleTyrAlaArgGlyAlaGln

100105110

GACATGAAGTGCGTCAGCATCCAGTACCTGGAAGCTGTGAGGAGGCTG384

AspMetLysCysValSerIleGlnTyrLeuGluAlaValArgArgLeu

115120125

AAGGTGGAGGGCCACCGGTTCCCCAGAACCATCCACATGACCTTTGTG432

Ly sValGluGlyHisArgPheProArgThrIleHisMetThrPheVal

130135140

CCTGATGAGGAGGTTGGGGGTCACCAAGGCATGGAGCTGTTCGTGCAG480

ProAspGl uGluValGlyGlyHisGlnGlyMetGluLeuPheValGln

145150155160

CGGCCTGAGTTCCACGCCCTGAGGGCAGGCTTTGCCCTGGATGAGGGC528

Ar gProGluPheHisAlaLeuArgAlaGlyPheAlaLeuAspGluGly

165170175

ATAGCCAATCCCACTGATGCCTTCACTGTCTTTTATAGTGAGCGGAGT576

IleAlaAsnProThrAspAlaPheThrValPheTyrSerGluArgSer

180185190

CCCTGGTGGGTGCGGGTTACCAGCACTGGGAGGCCAGGCCATGCCTCA624

ProTrpTrpValArgValThrSerThrGlyArgProGlyHisAlaSer

195200205

CGCTTCATGGAGGACACAGCAGCAGAGAAGCTGCACAAGGTTGTAAAC672

Ar gPheMetGluAspThrAlaAlaGluLysLeuHisLysValValAsn

210215220

TCCATCCTGGCATTCCGGGAGAAGGAATGGCAGAGGCTGCAGTCAAAC720

SerIleLe uAlaPheArgGluLysGluTrpGlnArgLeuGlnSerAsn

225230235240

CCCCACCTGAAAGAGGGGTCCGTGACCTCCGTGAACCTGACTAAGCTA768

Pr oHisLeuLysGluGlySerValThrSerValAsnLeuThrLysLeu

245250255

GAGGGTGGCGTGGCCTATAACGTGATACCTGCCACCATGAGCGCCAGC816

GluGlyGlyValAlaTyrAsnValIleProAlaThrMetSerAlaSer

260265270

TTTGACTTCCGTGTGGCACCGGATGTGGACTTCAAGGCTTTTGAGGAG864

PheAspPheArgValAlaProAspValAspPheLysAlaPheGluGlu

275280285

CAGCTGCAGAGCTGGTGCCAGGCAGCTGGCGAGGGGGTCACCCTAGAG912

Gl nLeuGlnSerTrpCysGlnAlaAlaGlyGluGlyValThrLeuGlu

290295300

TTTGCTCAGAAGTGGATGCACCCCCAAGTGACACCTACTGATGACTCA960

PheAlaGl nLysTrpMetHisProGlnValThrProThrAspAspSer

305310315320

AACCCTTGGTGGGCAGCTTTTAGCCGGGTCTGCAAGGATATGAACCTC1008

As nProTrpTrpAlaAlaPheSerArgValCysLysAspMetAsnLeu

325330335

ACTCTGGAGCCTGAGATCATGCCTGCTGCCACTGACAACCGCTATATC1056

ThrLeuGluProGluIleMetProAlaAlaThrAspAsnArgTyrIle

340345350

CGCGCGGTGGGGGTCCCAGCTCTAGGCTTCTCACCCATGAACCGCACA1104

ArgAlaValGlyValProAlaLeuGlyPheSerProMetAsnArgThr

355360365

CCTGTGCTGCTGCACGACCACGATGAACGGCTGCATGAGGCTGTGTTC1152

Pr oValLeuLeuHisAspHisAspGluArgLeuHisGluAlaValPhe

370375380

CTCCGTGGGGTGGACATATATACACGCCTGCTGCCTGCCCTTGCCAGT1200

LeuArgGl yValAspIleTyrThrArgLeuLeuProAlaLeuAlaSer

385390395400

GTGCCTGCCCTGCCCAGTGACAGC1224

Va lProAlaLeuProSerAspSer

405

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:

(A) LENGTH: 408 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:

MetThrSerLysGlyProGluG luGluHisProSerValThrLeuPhe

151015

ArgGlnTyrLeuArgIleArgThrValGlnProLysProAspTyrGly

202 530

AlaAlaValAlaPhePheGluGluThrAlaArgGlnLeuGlyLeuGly

354045

CysGlnLysValGluValAlaProGlyTyrValValThrVa lLeuThr

505560

TrpProGlyThrAsnProThrLeuSerSerIleLeuLeuAsnSerHis

65707580

Thr AspValValProValPheLysGluHisTrpSerHisAspProPhe

859095

GluAlaPheLysAspSerGluGlyTyrIleTyrAlaArgGlyAlaGln

100105110

AspMetLysCysValSerIleGlnTyrLeuGluAlaValArgArgLeu

115120125

LysValGluGlyHisArgPheP roArgThrIleHisMetThrPheVal

130135140

ProAspGluGluValGlyGlyHisGlnGlyMetGluLeuPheValGln

145150155 160

ArgProGluPheHisAlaLeuArgAlaGlyPheAlaLeuAspGluGly

165170175

IleAlaAsnProThrAspAlaPheThrValPheTyrSe rGluArgSer

180185190

ProTrpTrpValArgValThrSerThrGlyArgProGlyHisAlaSer

195200205

Arg PheMetGluAspThrAlaAlaGluLysLeuHisLysValValAsn

210215220

SerIleLeuAlaPheArgGluLysGluTrpGlnArgLeuGlnSerAsn

2252 30235240

ProHisLeuLysGluGlySerValThrSerValAsnLeuThrLysLeu

245250255

GluGlyGlyValAlaTyrA snValIleProAlaThrMetSerAlaSer

260265270

PheAspPheArgValAlaProAspValAspPheLysAlaPheGluGlu

275280 285

GlnLeuGlnSerTrpCysGlnAlaAlaGlyGluGlyValThrLeuGlu

290295300

PheAlaGlnLysTrpMetHisProGlnValThrProThrAspAspSe r

305310315320

AsnProTrpTrpAlaAlaPheSerArgValCysLysAspMetAsnLeu

325330335

ThrLeuGluProGluIleMetProAlaAlaThrAspAsnArgTyrIle

340345350

ArgAlaValGlyValProAlaLeuGlyPheSerProMetAsnArgThr

3 55360365

ProValLeuLeuHisAspHisAspGluArgLeuHisGluAlaValPhe

370375380

LeuArgGlyValAspIleTyrThrArgL euLeuProAlaLeuAlaSer

385390395400

ValProAlaLeuProSerAspSer

405

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:

(A) LENGTH: 12 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:

GluTrpGlnArgLeuGlnSerAsnProHisLeuLys

1510

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:

(A) LENGTH: 11 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:

LeuGluGlyGlyValAlaTyrAsnValIlePro

15 10

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:

(A) LENGTH: 6 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:7:

GluGlyTyrIleTyrAla

1 5

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:

(A) LENGTH: 17 base pairs

(B) TYPE: nucleic acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:8:

GAGGGGTATATATATGC 17

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:

(A) LENGTH: 5 amino acids

(B) TYPE: amino acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:9:

AsnProHisLeuLys

1 5

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:

(A) LENGTH: 14 base pairs

(B) TYPE: nucleic acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:10:

TTGAGGTGGGGGTT 14

(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:11:

(A) LENGTH: 14 base pairs

(B) TYPE: nucleic acid

(C) STRANDEDNESS: single

(D) TOPOLOGY: linear

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:11:

TTTAAGTGGGGGTT 14